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The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) says it has been quietly broadcasting the Gospel into Iran for over two decades.

Heart4Iran was revealed to be CBN’s pathway into the nation during a February interview marking the ministry’s 20^th anniversary.

Speaking with the 700 Club, Heart4Iran executive Edwin Abnous recalled how CBN works to serve the church despite the Islamist’s clampdown on communications.

Christian content is transmitted into homes through a rented satellite on what they call Mohabat (‘friendship’) television.

Satellite Faith Behind Closed Doors

Mohabat TV is 1 of 4 Gospel centric “satellite stations broadcasting continuously into the cleric-controlled Shia nation, which services the underground church.”

CBN’s outreach, launched in 2006, was the first. The ministry also includes phone centres and webcasts.

As of 2018, under the Heart4Iran umbrella, 86 ministries served upwards of 1 million (and rapidly increasing) hidden-in-plain-sight Iranians who now identify as Christian.

Asked about how this works when “preaching the Gospel, preaching Christianity, being Christian, and owning satellite dishes are illegal in the country, Abnous said, “most Iranians own one.”

“They buy a little dish with a receiving box. They don’t pay subscription fees.”

It’s a one-and-done package. “Iranians can then access hundreds of channels, and the government cannot detect who has it.”

To help with this, Christians use Voice over IP (VoIP) as a way of working around government surveillance.

The Rise of the Underground Church

Recalling CBN’s impact,

“One of the most well-received series is about house churches.”

“In the country, the houses and buildings that used to be churches are shut down,” he reported.

“The Iranian government does not want a building housing Christians.”

“So, the church has gone underground.”

Adding further context, the Heart4Iran director said,

“Some of them are organised house churches, but most of them are family members, and those friends were close together.”

Heart4Iran teaches Iranians how to do house church. They do this by providing programs on how to organise a house church, preach a sermon, and understand what it means to live out Ecclesia (be the Church).

A Virtual Church Network

Technology plays a key role, he added.

The online connection to Christian “community” – the virtual church – empowers real-world Christian outreach and engagement in Iran.

Iranian Christians, Abnous said, “participate anonymously without being identifiable, so they can enjoy fellowship, worship, and preaching.”

They can “also communicate and get counselling from Heart4Iran’s Farsi-speaking pastors.”

The “virtual church” system provides a place where Iranians can “get together and ask questions,” without fear of being detected and then detained.

Heart4Iran states that their mission is “to reach and engage Iranians in order to bring them from a point of interest to a place of influence.”

“Conversion to Christianity is considered apostasy, punishable by death, and yet Iran has the fastest-growing underground church movement in the world.”

“Many,” the CBN ministry said, “are having dreams and visions about Jesus.”

“Iranians are disillusioned with their Islamic leaders and find Islam to be bankrupt.”

Since 2006, Heart4Iran has answered 657,000 calls, documented close to 250,000 conversions and distributed an undisclosed number of free Bibles.

The ministry has also helped found 300 house churches and provides essential boots-on-the-ground follow-up for those inside Iran.

In the slightly paraphrased words of Heart4Iran’s former director, Mike Ansari,

“Most of our media talk very negatively about Iran.

“I’m here to tell you that hearts are being moved. God is alive. The Spirit of God is moving in Iran, and the Iranian people are coming to know Christ.”